Narrator Isaac Mizrahi

Art Installation Campana Brothers

Lighting Jennifer Tipton

Conductor George Manahan

The Juilliard Ensemble

Sat & Sun, Dec 13, 14, 20, 21, 2:30pm & 4pm
Mon & Tues, Dec 15, 16, 4pm & 5:30pm

“A new holiday tradition…Mr. Mizrahi was the perfect narrator.” - The New York Sun following 2007’s Peter & The Wolf

In what has become an annual holiday tradition, Works & Process at the Guggenheim presents a brand new special collaboration between the visual and the performing arts featuring 12 live performances of Sergei Prokofiev's charming children's classic, Peter & The Wolf. In a way this beloved story has never been presented before, renowned fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi will narrate, New York City Opera’s Music Director George Manahan will conduct the prestigious Juilliard Ensemble, 2008 Design Miami Designers of the year and legendary Brazilian design duo Campana Brothers will create a specially designed and Works & Process commissioned set and MacArthur Prize winning Jennifer Tipton’s lighting will bring the story to life.

The story brings 30 minutes of suspense...including a happy ending, and allows the young and young-at-heart to learn and remember the various instruments in the orchestra. After the performance, the audience will be able to view the artwork up-close.

LOCATION

Presented in The Peter B. Lewis Theater at the Guggenheim Museum
1071 Fifth Avenue at 89th Street
Subway – 4,5,6 train to 86th Street

TICKETS
$35 General
$30 Guggenheim Members

Box Office (open M-F, 1-5pm): (212) 423-3587

Peter & The Wolf

In 1936, Prokofiev was commissioned to write a light-hearted piece for children that would introduce the instruments and sounds of the orchestra. Prokofiev was highly excited about this project, though it did not pay much. He was given a libretto, but he didn’t like it, so he came up with a whole new story himself. The music was completed in a week. Peter & The Wolf was the result, and it is a work still loved by children and adults alike.

The story tells how young Peter, against his grandfather's will, opens the backyard gate, ventures into the big green meadow, and ultimately manages to liberate the village from the scary wolf. Peter captures the wolf with the help of his animal friends and hands him over to the hunters, with the specific request - to take the wolf to the zoo. The music is sophisticated enough to be enjoyed by adults, and its moral - you can't be a hero if you don't take risks - delights children as it must have cheered the Russian composer.

Each character in the story is represented by an instrument or instrumental family. The narrator reads the story between the musical sections.

Peter - Strings

Grandfather - Bassoon

The Bird - Flute

The Cat - Clarinet

The Duck - Oboe

The Wolf - Horns

The Hunters - Timpani (Kettle drums)

Isaac Mizrahi

A Brooklyn native, Mizrahi studied acting at the High School of Performing Arts and fashion at Parsons School of Design. In 1987 Mizrahi opened his first clothing business. In 2003 he partnered with Target and Bergdorf Goodman creating multiple fashion lines. Mizrahi has designed costumes for movies, theatre, dance, and opera, most recently for Scott Elliott’s productions of Barefoot in the Park and The Threepenny Opera. The subject of the acclaimed 1995 documentary Unzipped, Mizrahi also starred in Les Mizrahi, a one-man off-Broadway show. Mizrahi hosted The Isaac Mizrahi Show on the Oxygen Network and currently stars in Isaac, which airs on the Style Network and E!

Campana Brothers

Working together since 1983, the brothers Fernando (1961) and Humberto (1953) Campana have achieved international recognition for using simple materials that then incorporate ideas of transformation and reinvention giving preciousness to these materials and illustrate not only creativity in design, but also truly Brazilian characteristics – colors, mixtures, creative solutions and chaos. Based in Sao Paulo, Brazil Estudio Campana is constantly investigating new possibilities in furniture making and bridging dialogues for the exchange of information as a source of inspiration. Their works are found in the permanent collections of renowned cultural institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Cooper-Hewitt in New York, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, Germany.

George Manahan

Music Director of the New York City Opera, George Manahan is currently in his tenth season with the company. During his tenure, the New York City Opera has earned a reputation for maintaining the highest musical standards. Mr. Manahan is especially well known for his leadership of diverse productions. In 2003 Manahan conducted Thomas: Desire Under the Elms, the recording received a Grammy nomination for Best Opera Recording.

"George Manahan conducted and got from his players the kind of heartfelt involvement unthinkable in the City Opera orchestra pit 20 years ago." - Bernard Holland, New York Times, March 12, 2007

Works & Process

For over 23 years and in over 300 productions, Works & Process at the Guggenheim has been a pioneer in creating ground-breaking and carefully crafted programs which provide unprecedented access to today’s leading performing artists. Each program uniquely blends performance and discussion among creative collaborators and explores the creative process. Works & Process has a long history of commissioning and fully producing original works. This season’s commissions include Robert Wilson, Luca Veggetti, and Peter & The Wolf. Described by The New York Times as “a popular series devoted to shedding light on the creative process,” by The Village Voice as “revelatory,” and by New York Magazine as “illuminating,” Works & Process is produced by Mary Sharp Cronson. For further information on Works & Process at the Guggenheim please visit: www.worksandprocess.org.

Lead funding for Works & Process is provided by The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation with additional support from The Brown Foundation, Inc., of Houston, Geoffrey C. Hughes Foundation, Christian Humann Foundation, Leon Levy Foundation, Rockefellers Brothers Fund, Inc., Louisa Sarofim and The Evelyn Sharp Foundation.

This program is supported in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agenc